February 14th
is the day we openly show our love to the special people in our lives all in
the name of St. Valentine. But did you ever wonder who Valentine was and how
the tradition began?

One story
says that Emperor Claudius II, having decided that single men made the best
solders, declared it illegal for young males to marry. Valentine felt this was
wrong and continued to perform these illegal marriages in secret. When Claudius
discovered Valentine's actions, the Emperor ordered Valentine put to death.

In another
version, Valentine was killed as he helped Christians escape tortuous Roman
prisons.

Another
legend says Valentine actually sent the first lovelorn greeting when he, himself,
was a prisoner and fell in love with his jailer's daughter. He is said to have
signed "From your Valentine," an expression still printed on billions
of greeting cards to this day.

Whichever
story is true, St. Valentine is always celebrated as a kind, compassionate—and most
importantly—romantic hero.

But why
February 14th? It could be that the celebration started to
commemorate St. Valentine's death, which was most probably around AD 270.
However, some might say that mid-February being the beginning of the mating
season of birds might have had something to do with the chosen date. Makes
great sense to me; nothing spells romance like listening to the chirps, warbles,
and squawks of those procreatin' birds.

Now here are
a couple of interesting facts…

·According to the Greeting Card Association, approximately one billion
Valentine's Day cards are purchased each year, making Valentine's Day the
second largest card-sending holiday (bested only by Christmas).

·85% of all valentine's are purchased by women. (What the heck is wrong
with you men out there? Every February you're offered a prime opportunity to
gain some precious lover-boy points and only 15% of the flippin' cards are purchased by you! Get with it, already.)

So now that we know who St. Valentine might have been and how the date might have been chosen... (I'm glad I could be so definitively informative) what
special something will you do for that special someone in your life?

Giveaway Details
1 winner will receive their choice of an all new Kindle Fire 7″ HDX (US Only – $229 value), $229 Amazon Gift Card or $229 in Paypal Cash (International).
There is a second separate giveaway for bloggers who post this giveaway on their blog. See details in the rafflecopter on how to enter to win the 2nd Kindle Fire HDX 7″.
Ends 2/9/14
Open only to those who can legally enter, receive and use an Amazon.com Gift Code or Paypal Cash. Winning Entry will be verified prior to prize being awarded. No purchase necessary. You must be 18 or older to enter or have your parent enter for you. The winner will be chosen by rafflecopter and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to respond or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is in no way associated with Facebook, Twitter, Rafflecopter or any other entity unless otherwise specified. The number of eligible entries received determines the odds of winning. Giveaway was organized by Kathy from I Am A Reader, Not A Writer and sponsored by the participating authors & bloggers. VOID WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW.

Being an adult can become
drudgery if we let it. We have to work to earn a living. Those bills won't pay themselves.
We have a house to clean, laundry to take care of, shopping to do, meals to
cook—the list seems endless. Sometimes we're left wondering… where's the fun in
life?

If you want to inject a
little fun into your day, you need look no further than your own children. If
you don't have kids, simply drive past the nearest school yard. Kids know how
to have fun! They make the world their playground. And you can too.

How to Make Each Day More Fun

1.Step out of your
comfort zone – As we get older, we tend to cling to those things we know as
safe. However, fun is found in taking a little risk now and then. I'm not
suggesting you walk a tight-rope across NiagraFalls. Just do something different. Last night, I turned on
some music and danced around the kitchen as I cooked dinner.

2.Exercise your
imagination – Close your eyes, take a deep, relaxing breath, and imagine
yourself climbing a tree, or riding a roller coaster, or walking on the beach. See
the landscape from twenty feet up in the air, feel the wind in your hair and
the sun warming your skin. Children can get lost for hours in their
imagination.

3.Embrace
spontaneity – Are your wheels stuck in a rut? Break out of the ordinary and do
something wild! Go to the movies on a Tuesday afternoon. When was the last time
you went bowling? Find a billiards hall and shoot some pool.

4.Enjoy the moment
– Whatever it is you're doing, be there. Don't worry about
tomorrow, or yesterday, or even an hour from now. Clear your mind of all those
chaotic thoughts. Wonder is in every moment, if you just focus on the here and
now.

5.Laugh like no one
is watching – Something happens to us when we become adults. We no longer want
to be seen. We feel a need to blend in, to not be noticed. But if you watch
children, they laugh right out loud. Self-consciousness is stifling.

6.Create something
– Grab a pencil and write a poem, or draw a picture of the tree that's in your
backyard. Build a birdhouse out of popsicle sticks or a castle out of playing
cards. Creating something for pure enjoyment brings a feeling of great accomplishment.

7.What's the rush?
– Consider giving yourself a few extra minutes for each planned task of the
day. When you hurry from one thing to the next, you miss the opportunity to see
and feel and experience what's happening to you in the moment. Like a child in
wide-eyed wonder, slow down and take in the view.

8.Smile! – I've
read that a child smiles nearly 150 times each day while an adult averages
fewer than a dozen smiles in the same time frame. Grins and giggles lift your
spirit like nothing else.

9.Explore the world
– Children are in awe of nature, whether it's watching bees flutter from flower
to flower or turning over rocks to see what creepy-crawlies are underneath. So
get in tune with nature. Buy yourself some wind chimes. Or simply take a walk
and listen to birdsong. Have you ever noticed the sound of dead leaves
skittering along the asphalt? Or how rain hitting the roof can sound like
steaks sizzling on a grill? Nature is a great place to find calm after a hard
day's work.

10.Learn something new – Challenge yourself! Learn a new
task. It could be as simple learning to fold a basic origami heart, reading a
book on a subject that interests you, or you could go all out and learn a foreign language.

Take a break from thinking
like an adult. Run and dance and climb a tree! Child-like behavior can bring a
smile to you face and joy to your heart.

Four life-long friends bound by two decades of laughter, love, promises, and secrets. Once inseparable, the four grow into independent adults pursuing very different paths.

Sage, raised by career-driven parents, follows a carefully laid out future of success that leaves her wondering what she’s missed out on.

Emily, the college drop-out, now has three children that have become her whole life. She's slowly lost herself, subconsciously seeking dangerous ways to cope. Can she find herself in time?

Jax always lived on the edge, skating through life with no apparent ambition, yet remained the energy and emotional cement of the group. She longs for her friends to accept her without trying to fix her.

Ned, Emily’s twin brother, yearns to stand up and be counted. But his old loyalties and new feelings for one of the girls has him pulled in different directions.

Will the ties that held them together as kids be strong enough for them as adults? These four friends will discover the true meaning of friendship and unveil truths about themselves they never knew existed.

Lia Fairchild is both a traditionally published and independent author
who writes contemporary fiction, chick lit, romance, and
mystery/thriller. Fairchild was born and raised in Southern California
and holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a multiple-subject
teaching credential. She is a wife and mother of two teenagers.

This week, I'd like to
introduce you to some friends of mine who write thrillers and mysteries. The
opening lines of their novels are intriguing and meant to draw you in. Take a look at these amazing female writers who I feel privileged to call colleagues.

~~~

THE SACRIFICE by Peg Brantley

"He shouldn't be here,
he thought. Not tonight. A bad idea all around."

About the author: Linda L. Barton has done many different things in her life, from working as a hair stylist, a claims processor, to driving a Peterbilt Truck across the US, but writing is her passion. Visit her website, or find her on Facebook, Twitter, or Pinterest.

~~~

SHE BELONGS TO ME by Carmen DeSousa

"A loud crack startled Jordon from his sleep. His hand flew to his pounding head as he looked around the room for the source of the noise.

It sounded like a gunshot, or perhaps he was just having another nightmare. Sometimes he couldn't tell the difference."

About the author: A romantic-suspense writer, Carmen DeSousa writes novels that overflow with
romance, mystery, suspense, a hint of paranormal sometimes, and of course—tragedy;
after all, what would a great story be without a heartrending event setting the
stage? Visit her online at her blog, on Facebook, and on Twitter.

~~~

No Good Deed: Book One of the Mark Taylor Series by MP McDonald

"The baby
floated face down in the tub. The image hadn’t changed, not that Mark Taylor
expected it to. Not yet anyway. He tucked the photo in his back pocket and
trotted down the steps from the ‘L’ platform. With any luck at all, the next
time he looked, the baby would be fine."

About the author: MP McDonald was born and raised in Waukegan, Illinois. The fifth of eight children, she found out early that hiding in a book was a great way to escape the noise and bustle of a large, busy household. Find out more about her at her blog, or visit her on Facebook, and on Twitter.

~~~

VIGILANNIE by Lia Fairchild

"The dusk sky loomed heavy over inner-city Detroit as she parked her crimson sports car in the empty lot. She hoped she wasn't too late."

About the author: Lia Fairchild is both a traditionally published and independent author who writes contemporary fiction, chick lit, romance, and thrillers. Learn more about her by visiting her blog, or find her on Facebook and Twitter.

~~~

And last, but certainly not least, I offer you one of my favorites...

ETERNAL BEAUTY by Linda Prather

"One more, sweetheart, and we'll be finished." He folded her hands across her chest, carefully arranging them to hide the missing fingers. "That's perfect."

2.a quality or feeling
of mystery, excitement, or remoteness from every day life.

verb –

1.court; woo.

2.another term for romanticize.

Most women crave it. Most men are either scared of it or think it's a waste of time. That's why women turn, again and again, to romance novels. Love stories satisfy that need for excitement and mystery.

I've searched out some entertaining quotes about romance. Enjoy!

"I love your feet because
they have wandered over the earth and through the wind and water until they
brought you to me." ~Pablo Neruda
(Sounds like Pablo might have had a bit of a foot fetish. Not that
there's anything wrong with that.)

"Love has nothing to do
with what you are expecting to get, only with what you are expecting to give—which
is everything." ~Katharine Hepburn (Ah, Ms Hepburn… beautiful and wise.)

"I love being married.
It's so great to find that one special person you want to annoy for the rest of
your life. " ~Rita Rudner (I used this quote in The Merry-Go-Round.)

"We loved with a love that
was more than love." ~Edgar Allan Poe's Annabell Lee (Okay, this is a tad
cheesy and if my husband ever said this to me I would respond, "Huh?".)

"Love doesn't sit there
like a stone, it has to be made, like bread; remade all of the time, made
new." ~Ursula K. Le Guin (This quote appealed to the cook in me, AND for the fact that it's true.)

"Whatever our souls are
made of, his and mine are the same." ~Emily Brontë's WutheringHeights (Ah, Heathcliff. *drool*)

"I don't wish to be
everything to everyone, but I would like to be something to someone." ~Unknown
(That's not asking for too much, is it?)